


Enter: Riyame Uchiha

by Riyame Uchiha (EmberLioness)



Series: The Riyame Chronicles [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: 2016 rewrite, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, Developing Friendships, F/M, Female Protagonist, Gen, Sharingan, Uchiha fic, Unresolved Tension, fan fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-04
Updated: 2016-01-04
Packaged: 2018-05-11 17:14:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5635183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmberLioness/pseuds/Riyame%20Uchiha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Riyame Uchiha. Timid, depressed, self-derogatory, and easily intimidated... The youngest child pedigree of the Uchiha clan, she has been in the shadows of her older brothers for seven long years. Now she has resurfaced and must battle the psychological scarring brought forward by the assassination of her clan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Team Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [EDIT] After having picked Riyame's story back up by writing more on the sequel, I was just going to leave this one be. Hey, I didn't feel like editing it anymore after all of the hours I spent on it. Well, three years passed, and having read back over it, I changed my mind.
> 
> Without further ado, here is the official 2016 rewrite.

Naruto’s foot tapped impatiently. He, Sakura, and Sasuke had been standing there for nearly three hours without speaking each other. Kakashi-sensei had told them to meet him there, but per the norm, he was late. Each of them wore varying masks of irritation.

Naruto was the first to break the long silence. “Man! Why does Kakashi-sensei always have to be late?”

You’d think he could be on time for once, but no...He’d probably give them the same boring excuse: he was “lost on the journey to life.” All of them were sick of his excuses, but especially Naruto.

The least he could do was get a more creative one, Naruto thought bitterly.

“Don’t know, don’t care…” There it was. Sasuke was always quick to comment with something cool in that monotone of his. And of course, Sakura agreed with him, nodding like an obedient little fan girl. How she fell for the jerk Naruto would never understand. What any female would see in Sasuke was a mystery to him. He just kept telling himself that they just have horrible taste in guys, and pretty boys always get the girls.

“I just wish he wouldn’t make us get up this early,” Sakura sniffled. Naruto rolled his eyes. She was in one of her whiny moods today. That meant if he badmouthed the perfect Uchiha she’d punt him across the village. Not that he was afraid of that or anything.

“Oh! I’m glad to see that you’re all here.” That voice spun Naruto around, ready to pounce. He stopped only when he saw a girl with him. His anger at his late sensei didn’t disappear. Curiosity just pushed questions to the front of his mind.

“Who’s this,” Sakura asked. Even Sasuke looked mildly curious.

“Oh, this?” He motioned to the girl beside him, “This is…Riyame.” He hesitated on her name, but his team seemed not to notice. All of their attention was on the newcomer.

Naruto noticed that she looked a lot like Sasuke, with obvious differences. Her hair was longer, though it was the same raven color. Her eyes were just as dark, but they were rounder and more passive. Her complexion was paler than Sasuke’s, and Naruto thought she needed a tan. She was kind of pretty, but she didn’t seem like she wanted to be here.

She didn’t smile, wave, or make any effort not to look utterly depressed. She kept herself at a distance from the conversation. Not to be rude, or at least it didn’t seem that way to Naruto. More like she was lost in thought. Her eyes never left the ground, and he wondered if they intimidated her. She did look a little younger than them.

A few seconds of awkward silence surrounded them; then, Kakashi-sensei bent down and whispered something in her ear. Her eyes flickered to him then to—who seemed to be—Sasuke and then they were on the ground again. Kakashi gave her a tiny nudge. 

“Hi.” Her voice was soft, and it reminded him of a whisper. Naruto wasn’t exactly sure if he heard her correctly. He guessed that she mustn’t have liked talking much.

“What’s up, Kakashi-sensei? Is this why you were late?” Sakura asked a question that Naruto hadn’t even thought of voicing. He had been too busy staring at the girl—which seemed creepier the more he thought about it.

“Right, I forgot to explain.” He rested a hand on her shoulder, “Riyame, here, is going to be an extra edition to our squad for a little while. Her sensei is on a long-term mission, and he asked me to take her under my wing until he got back.”

“And he couldn’t have gotten a substitute? Our team is crowded enough as it is,” Sasuke grumbled. Naruto was about to pounce, but the heartbroken look on Riyame’s face grabbed his attention. Then she began to chew on her lip, something Naruto knew usually meant people were nervous. Her reactions confused him.

“He and I are practically family, and I owed him one. Besides, he cleared it with the Hokage, so Riyame is a member of team seven until he returns. And, she’s to be treated as such.” Naruto knew who that comment was aimed at, and it brought him petty enjoyment.

“Welcome to the team, Riyame,” Sakura said sweetly. Riyame gave her a tight-lipped smile.

“Why don’t I let the four of you get acquainted? I need to take care of a thing or two and then I’ll be back,” Kakashi chimed. He looked like sun standing next to Riyame, who looked at him with a horrified expression. He gave her a masked smile and walked away.

 

My body tensed as I watched Kakashi’s retreating form. That traitor! He promised me he wouldn’t leave me alone. I ignored the sting of betrayal and turned to face my temporary team.

Every eye was on me, fueling the ball of anxiety that sat in my stomach. My mouth was as dry as a desert, and I kept trying to think of ways out. I could feel Kakashi-sensei’s presence retreating further into the village. I wanted to be angry, but my fear was the top emotion in the chaos of my head. 

Caguna-sensei hated me. That was the only explanation. He knew why I avoided Sasuke, yet it didn’t stop him from sticking me on team seven. Don’t get me wrong, Kakashi is amazing, and I was honored that he accepted. I just…I wasn’t ready to face him yet.

The blonde boy gave me an ear to ear smile that sent my thoughts into a flurry. He seemed nice. Not to mention he wasn’t bad looking…In fact, especially with a smile on his face, he was kind of cute.

“Riyame, that’s your name right?” I nodded, not trusting my voice. “Alright! Tell us about yourself.” It wasn’t very much of a question, but it wasn’t exactly an order either. That didn’t help me with choosing whether to speak or not. It felt like I’d forgotten how.

The girl with pink hair seemed to sense my distress. “Sorry about him, I’m Sakura. The knucklehead is Naruto, and that’s Sasuke.” My first instinct was to point out that I knew who Sasuke was, but she didn’t exactly know that. Plus, I didn’t want to open my mouth for the fear of getting sick.

I settled for nodding.

“Why don’t you start with the basics,” She said with a kind smile, “Likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams?” I could do that…right? Yeah. I could say that much without losing to my nerves.

“I-I…” I cleared my throat, realizing they wouldn’t be able to hear me. “I-uh,” I stuttered, “I don’t really do much.” Maybe it seemed a little farfetched, but it was true. I couldn’t remember the last time I did something I actually enjoyed.

“Boring,” Naruto half-shouted, “Come on! There has to be something interesting about you.” That was a blow I wasn’t expecting. Not that I thought he meant it in an antagonistic way, but I couldn’t help feeling a little defensive.

“So you’re insinuating that I’m boring?” It was out before I stopped to really think about the words.

“I didn’t mean it like that, I swear!” He put his hands up in a soothing motion. I gnawed on my lip as I choked down my embarrassment.

“Who cares? She answered, drop it Naruto,” Sasuke spat. I flinched like I had been slapped. When did he become so…cold?

Naruto shot him a glare, “I care. Why don’t you go somewhere you’re wanted jerk?”

“You seem a little young to already be a ninja,” Sakura said, cutting across her teammates—who looked like they were ready to kill each other.

“I graduated a little early,” I said, shrugging.

“What, really?” Naruto looked beyond excitement, “Why didn’t you say so sooner? That’s awesome! How’d you do it? Did you study really hard? Were you smarter than everyone? What? Tell me the secret to your success!”

“Don’t hound her, Naruto,” Sakura scolded, “This isn’t twenty questions.” She gave me a warm smile, “That’s really cool, Riyame.” I gave both of them a tiny smile, and it felt…genuine. Neither of my teammates was very impressed that I’d only graduated a year earlier. Very few were, actually. I wasn’t really above average, so Naruto’s exuberance went far to uncoil some of the tightness in my stomach.

“There’s a smile!” Naruto gave me another huge grin and a thumbs up.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Sasuke roll his eyes. Smiling after that felt like a chore, so I stopped bothering. Naruto and Sakura both noticed the change and Naruto even recognized the cause of it. When he turned on Sasuke, I tried to protest, but nothing came out.

“Really, Sasuke? Why do you have to ruin everything?” Naruto pointed at him.

“I have better things to do with my life than hang around here with the three of you. This is wasting valuable time that could be spent on training,” He sneered, his glare shifting to me, “Some of us look like we could use it.”

A pang echoed through my chest. The ball of panic in my stomach writhed painfully. I began to gnaw on my lip, hoping the discomfort would bring clarity to the rush of unwanted emotion that threatened to smother me. It didn’t, but it made them bearable.

Any plan that my sensei made for my confession went completely out the window. Even Kakashi had to know that. If they didn’t they were fooling themselves. Sasuke was too distant. He was more likely to call me a liar and leave me even lonelier than I already was. I wasn’t a person who could take that kind of rejection. He obviously didn’t recognize me, so I might as well leave it at that and avoid the heartache.

We waited at that spot for another two hours. I found myself counting the time between awkward sessions of attempted small talk with Naruto and Sakura. Relief was like a bucket of cold water when I could sense Kakashi’s presence come within the range of my senses. 

“I trust the four of you have gotten to know each other a little better?” The question was aimed at me, and his visible eye even flickered to me for a moment. I gave a subtle shake of my head, but it didn’t seem to dampen his mood. When no one else spoke, he continued.

“We’re going our first mission with Riyame this morning.”

“This morning,” Naruto shouted.

“It was the morning three hours ago,” Sakura barked. Kakashi apologized, but I doubted he felt that bad about it.

“Meet me at the mission reception-“

“You mean you’re going to go off to do whatever it is you do again, right?” Sasuke grumbled. I cringed away from the acid in his voice. Kakashi-sensei took it in stride. He just ruffled his hair and waved us goodbye.

Naruto shouted, “And don’t be late,” as he walked away from us.

 

Kakashi smiled to himself as Naruto called after him. He glanced back at Riyame when he was far enough away for them not to notice. She distanced herself from the others—which told him that she was avoiding speaking to any of them, especially Sasuke. He felt bad for breaking his promise not to leave her alone, but she needed a chance to interact with them without him breathing down her neck.

Muscle memory carried him to the memorial stone. He sighed as he looked down at it. This was going to be a very awkward time for team seven.

“Heard your team gained a member.” He wasn’t very surprised when Jiraiya joined him, “How’d they take to her?”

“It’s hard to tell. Naruto and Sakura seemed to take to her just fine, but Sasuke is as anti-social as ever. It’s pretty much the only way that they’re alike.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets, “She wouldn’t even speak at first.”

“You think she’ll tell him of her own accord?”

“No. She’s too afraid,” Kakashi sighed, “When Caguna came to me and asked me if I would take Riyame under my wing, I never expected it to be so tense. I’d hoped she would just fess up or he’d recognize her and get it out of the way. It sounds ridiculous now that I look back at it.”

“Did Caguna tell you anything about her?”

“She feels like she’s spent years watching him grow, and she has nothing to show for it but loneliness. Her words apparently.” Kakashi hoped that she’d at least find friends in the two more amiable members of his squad. He guessed correctly that she and Sasuke wouldn’t get along, and now he greatly doubted Riyame would ever fess up.

“How about her sharingan?”

“’No clue. I know it’s activated, but that’s about it,” Kakashi replied, “Caguna tells me that she has a lot of potential, and I believe it. Yet, he’s also admitted that he hasn’t been the greatest teacher, so her confidence is lacking because of it.”

“You have your hands full with that one. I don’t envy you,” Jiraiya sighed, sounding as exasperated as I felt. “You think she’s ever going to tell him?”

“Not without the proper provocation,” Kakashi said. That girl was an anxious, self-derogatory mess. She thought she was a hindrance to everyone around her, and her own squad had done nothing but drive that point home. Caguna had admitted that much.

Her fear of Sasuke was mostly irrational. Not that Kakashi didn’t understand it. For a kid as insecure as Riyame, rejection was a scary thing, but this was just kicked into overdrive. Not that he blamed her. He would be the first to admit that Sasuke could be a brat. He was a loner, and that was how he preferred it to stay. Had they been reunited after the massacre, it might be different.

“I’m running late,” Kakashi huffed, “I’d better meet them before they get too impatient.”

“Good luck,” Jiraiya muttered. He mumbled thanks and set off to meet some very impatient genin.

 

About ten minutes passed as team seven and I waited for Kakashi-sensei. Lady Tsunade sat at the center of a line of officials, watching us as Naruto paced angrily.

“How many times can you be late in one day,” Sakura complained.

“Your sensei will be here soon enough,” The Hokage said dismissively.

“You always say that grandma,” Naruto spat. I looked at him in awe. Did he really just disrespect one of the three legendary Sannin? He was either very brave or very stupid. I hadn’t decided which yet.

“I told you never to call me that,” She growled, her eyes narrowing dangerously. My mouth went dry, and I averted my eyes in an attempt to keep myself out of firing range.

“Sorry, I’m late.” Kakashi’s voice sent a wave of relief over me, easing some of the tension in the room.

“There you are, Kakashi.” Irritation still lingered on her face, but her voice was calm. Naruto seemed to have a lasting effect on a lot of people. “I presume you’re here for a mission?”

Kakashi shot us an apologetic look before replying, “You would presume correctly.” Naruto and Sakura returned his glance with molten glares; whereas, Sasuke could have cared less.

Tsunade began to read off mission possibilities, all of which Naruto shot down. I wouldn’t have minded most of them; they were small tasks that anyone could have done. That meant he wanted nothing to do with them.

“Give us something better,” Naruto demanded.

“Fine, deliver a message to Kumorigakure. Do you think you can handle that?” She finally spat out.

“Um…Lady Hokage,” Sakura hesitated, “That’s a little far, isn’t it?”

“It’s only a D-rank mission. It’s not that important, just trade agreements. The distance shouldn’t be too much,” Tsunade replied evenly, “Sasuke or Riyame could finish this mission alone.”

Her words were supposed to be reassuring, and though they worked for Sakura, they did the opposite for me. I could feel my cheeks heat, and Sasuke’s displeasure at being measured beside me was obvious. He and I both knew that I was no comparison.

“I doubt that,” I huffed under my breath. I hoped it would go unnoticed, but I wasn’t that lucky.

“How’d you become a ninja with that attitude?” Naruto pointed at me dramatically, and every eye in the room was on me. Self-conscious didn’t begin to describe how I felt.

“You’re just as strong as any of us, believe it, Riyame.” Naruto sounded so confident in his words that it was hard to disagree with him—which I did. He’d only known me for a few hours. What did he know?

Reactions to Naruto’s words varied around the room. Sasuke rolled his eyes—not very surprising, though it stung, Kakashi was disappointed—which was almost as bad, and Sakura looked at me like someone might a wounded animal.

We ended up accepting the mission, and by the end of the briefing, I felt like I was going to gnaw a hole in my lip. The team parted briefly to pack for the short trip. I didn’t waste any time because I would just end up wallowing in self-pity if I did.

Everyone managed to reach the village gates at the same time, including Kakashi, which I was quickly figuring out was a miracle itself.

“Is everyone ready?” Kakashi was oddly cheerful.

Naruto and Sakura were in unison as they said, “Yeah!”

“Whatever.” This was apparently Sasuke’s response to everything, and that bothered me more than it should.

Kakashi’s eyes were then on me. I peered at him sheepishly through my lashes. I didn’t expect my opinion to matter, so my chest thickened with emotion.

“Would you take it into consideration if I told you I’d slow you down?”

“Scared of a little walking?” Naruto teased.

“I’m not scared.” My objection sounded more childish than I meant it to be.

“We’ve established the fact that you’ll slow us down. If we can drag Naruto behind us all the time, I’m pretty sure we can manage a light weight like you. We’re stuck with each other. Suck it up.” Sasuke’s words dripped with disdain. I had to swallow to wet my throat. A mix of chaotic emotions swallowed me again.

My teammates would be begging to leave me behind. Sasuke made it clear that he didn’t care whether I existed or not, and that was worse. I began to think that it didn’t matter whether he could recognize me or not.

“That was uncalled for and rude, Sasuke. Either accept her or keep your mouth shut,” Kakashi scolded. 

This was the second time that it felt like an ice bucket had been dumped over my head. Caguna-sensei was much more passive whenever either of my teammates made snide comments. Not that they’d get away with it completely, but there was only so much a half-hearted reprimand would do. Kakashi and Caguna were two very different people. If it wasn’t clear before, it was absolutely clear now.

He then turned to me, “If you don’t stop downing yourself, I will make you do basic training exercises until you can’t stand. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, sensei,” I muttered. He just scolded me, yet I felt…relief? What was wrong with me today?

We wasted no time in continuing with the mission. I managed to do well despite myself, and most of the team was determined not to let my—or Sasuke’s—negativity ruin their excitement. I kept to myself throughout most of the mission, and it went without difficulty. 

When we rested sometime during the night, Naruto fired off questions at me. I dodged them whenever possible because I hated the spotlight, but I found it oddly endearing that he and Sakura seemed so determined to make friends with me. Even as we continued onward into the territory of the Shadow Village, Naruto kept going. He was like a machine. A stubborn, goofy machine.

Once we reached the village, we were intercepted at the gates, so we never went inside—much to Naruto’s disappointment. Once Kakashi-sensei handed over the trade agreements, we were on our way home. We made it back by noon of the next day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [EDIT} Now, I am officially done editing the entire story! More to come!


	2. Big Brother

“Alright, everyone freshen up. I want you to meet me on the training field in thirty minutes,” Kakashi-sensei instructed once we stepped through the village gates.

Eager to be alone to organize my thoughts, I ambled back to my apartment. The confusing emotions I’d been fighting for nearly two days began to reach its point, and my eyes stung. When I reached my door, it was a grateful reprieve. I’d barely gotten my door closed before my legs turned to jelly. I managed to slump toward the bathroom, and I shut myself in, silencing the outside world. Just for a few minutes, I escaped inside of myself and cried. The sobs were painful, straining my body until it shook. I hugged my knees to my chest and hid my face.

I sat there like that for several minutes as I wallowed in my self-pity. The crying jag passed as quickly as it came, allowing me to start sorting through the overwhelming cloud that smothered rational thought.

I knew I would drive myself insane if I didn’t find some way out. I wasn’t the type that handled rejection well, so speaking to Sasuke alone was out of the question. The abuse I could take. Heiogi and Leon were worse. They went out of their way to let me know I wasn’t wanted or needed. Heiogi did at least…Leon just…my feelings on him were mixed.

As much as Sasuke’s words stung, I didn’t know if I could return to team sixteen. Not after making the closest thing to friends I’ve ever had on team seven. Kakashi-sensei was…amazing. He was supportive, and he did nothing but remind me that I was a member of the team. Having zero confidence around him was next to impossible, even for me.

Then there were my extremely confusing feelings where Naruto was concerned. He was like a ray of sunshine. Confident. Outgoing. Not to mention kind. Not that he couldn’t be a bit of dull sometimes, but that gave him a weird charm. It was hard not to like him. There was a sort of happiness that radiated out of him, even when he was in a sour mood—which was often when he was around Sasuke.

Being around him gave me butterflies in my stomach, and my heart would feel lighter. Smiling wasn’t such a chore, especially when he was. That goofy grin of his got me every time. He was a little too hyper for his own good sometimes, but his heart was in the right place. I had never been around someone who made me feel like this before. It was an entirely new feeling, and I didn’t want it to end. Maybe if I focused on that, being around Sasuke wouldn’t be so bad.

Now that my head was clear, I moved my stiff body. I was emotionally drained, but that wasn’t a good enough reason to keep lagging around. I needed to get moving if I was going to erase any traces of crying. I used the sink as leverage to pull myself to my feet.

My reflection was ghostly, and my frown didn’t exactly help. I ran some water, splashed a little on my face, and scrubbed away the evidence. The chances were slim that it would help, but it was better than nothing. I glanced up at the mirror, and I was right. Why did I have to get cursed with pale skin? I always looked sick.

I changed into fresh clothes and did everything I could think of to appear presentable. Maybe if I didn’t look like a mess, no one would realize that I really was.

I took the trek to the training field at a leisurely pace. I wasn’t exactly in a rush to embarrass myself—which was bound to happen sooner or later. Maybe I’d be lucky and get most of the embarrassment out of the way quickly.

As I approached the fields, my stomach wound itself back into knots. I could sense the presence of a lone figure in the distance, and there were very few people my body reacted to so violently. By the time he was in my sight, every muscle in my back was rigid with anticipation. I didn’t bother to announce my presence, and I froze in place when our eyes met.

I contemplated turning around then, but I was cowardly enough without adding that to the list. So, I ignored the building dread and stopped once I was a few meters away. He wasted no time in ignoring me until Naruto and Sakura arrived. Kakashi arrived a short time afterward.

“Good,” He chimed, “You’re all here, and on time.” His punctuality warmed up the area, and some of the tension was soothed.

‘Speak for yourself, sensei,” Naruto grumbled, crossing his arms and pouting childishly. I stifled a smile.

Sensei cut to the chase right away, “Alright, we’re going to do something basic.“ Naruto let out a groan of distaste, “Because Riyame is here with us, I want to start off easy and work our way up.” Naruto still wasn’t having it.

“Boring!” He stamped his foot, “Come on, sensei! I wanna do something hard! Give me a challenge,” He demanded.

“Quiet, Naruto,” He said, “Every decent ninja needs to know how to effectively hide from his or her enemy. I’m going to close my eyes and count to three. I shouldn’t be able to find you without searching every inch of this clearing.” He waved us away, “Go,” and he closed his eye.

For once my nerves were gone, replaced with excitement. My luck couldn’t have been better! Something I was good at right off the bat? I wasn’t going to stop to second guess it, so I ran off in search of the best hiding spot I could find.

“One,” Kakashi-sensei counted.

I managed to find some thick foliage that would be plenty to disguise my small body. It was one of the few advantages of being small. Once I slipped underneath it, I was silently thankful that it covered my entire frame with ease. There was no way I’d be found at first glance.

“Two.”

Sakura and Naruto both scrambled up a pair of trees. Sakura nestled herself in the security of some leafy, stable branches. Naruto’s branch seemed too precarious for anyone with common sense, but he managed to hold still. I found myself hoping that the limb would hold.

“Three.” Kakashi’s eye opened. I held deathly still, barely even breathing. A small amount of panic settled in when I realized I never saw where Sasuke went. Maybe it was better that way. He was less likely to be found.

“Very good,” Sensei praised, “I think that was the fastest any of you have ever managed to disappear.”

Right away Naruto’s branch began to quiver, and his footing was less than sure. Kakashi was quick on the draw, and his eye found him. The limb crunched beneath the blond’s weight and sent him flailing to the ground. Luckily he rolled to avoid an overly rough landing, but he laid at the base of the tree groaning.

A kunai stuck into the ground next to him, “You’re dead.” His voice was completely calm, “Were this a real mission, Naruto would have been killed on the spot. Thank you, you were the perfect demonstration of what not to do.” Sensei was plenty serious, but there was no cruelty in his voice. In fact, Naruto actually let out an airy chuckle.

“My bad,” He said. I fought back the smile that tugged at the corners of my mouth. I had barely noticed a few leaves quiver near Sakura before a kunai pierced the limb where she sat.

“Laughing at a teammate will get you killed. Never give away your position, even if your teammate is compromised. Thank you, Sakura.” I could practically feel Sakura’s embarrassment from here.

Kakashi’s eye was eagle sharp as he scanned the area. He didn’t move from his original spot, and he barely moved his head. I held as still as possible while I glanced around for any sign of Sasuke. When I finally found him, he was several meters away hidden in a thicket. I allowed myself to silently appreciate the irony.

I noticed Kakashi-sensei’s hand twitch, and I knew he had found one of us. I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the announcement.

“Well done, Sasuke.” Wait. What?

My eyes popped open, widening in shock. How did he…there was no way I had beaten Sasuke at something. It was statistically impossible.

“Had I been in any rush or had there not been dead silence, I might not have found you.” Sasuke stepped out of the underbrush with a sour look on his face. “As for you, Riyame, I can honestly say that I can’t find you, so you’ve succeeded at this exercise.” The shock of his praise was nothing compared to the sudden surge of pride that filled me.

“Of course, she’d be good at hiding,” Sasuke grumbled. The comment took me off guard, and it managed to drain the pride and more. “I bet she’s good at being a human shield too.”

That one did more than sting. It brought an ache to my chest, and my eyes burned. He could have punched a hole through me and it might have hurt less. Emotions I had managed to push away earlier swallowed me again, and there was no holding them back this time. A sharp pain pricked my palms as I tried to keep a grip on myself. I barely heard Kakashi scold him.

A human shield…that’s what I was reduced to in a moment of pettiness.

Moving felt alien, and I had to crawl out of the foliage as though I were just learning how to control my own body. How I managed to push myself to my feet, I didn’t know. My hair to acted as a curtain to hide my face from the team.

“Riyame…” I could sense her step closer, keeping her distance like I was a freak.

“Hey, you okay?” Naruto’s voice was the closest, and he was the last one I wanted to see me cry. So I did the only other thing I was good at, I ran. As fast and as hard as I could. I just wanted to escape. To get away from that place…away from the bitter comments…away from Sasuke.

I didn’t even make it back to the village before I was gripping onto a tree for dear life. I clawed at the shirt that covered my heart in a feeble attempt to stop the pain, and I sobbed. I should have known I couldn’t have my moment in the light. I was just a convenient doormat, and it was all I would ever be.

An urgent presence made itself known. My entire body tensed, and a sense of impending danger enveloped me. This presence lingered in my nightmares, and it haunted me for so many years that it had ingrained itself into my memory. I’d never be rid of it, but for it to be so close and so real…I had to be going insane.

“Wh-who’s there,” I choked out, my voice barely a whisper. Not so much as a branch swayed. There was only the sound of my pounding heart and panicked breathing.

Frustration welled up inside of me. I slammed my fist against the tree, and a hand on my shoulder made me jump out of my skin. I whipped around in a panic, and shame hit me like a tidal wave. Kakashi-sensei’s face was nothing short of compassionate, and his presence was oddly comforting.

“I was going to ask if you were okay, but I think I have my answer.” I bit down on my lip to hold in the unwanted emotion.

“Wh-when did he…” I couldn’t finish before a sob tore through my chest.

“I’m sorry for that,” He sighed, “People say stupid things when their pride is wounded.”

“I’m sorry too.” I nearly jumped out of my skin a second time. Sakura gave me an apologetic look, “He’s been like that since I can remember. I don’t know what’s gotten into him lately.” I hung my head in shame.

“You must th-think I’m such a crybaby,” I said between sobs.

“Enough of that,” Kakashi said softly, “You have every right to your hurt feelings.”

“Sasuke…just takes a little getting used to,” Sakura said, “I promise he’s not always like that.”

“He was so different when…” I trailed off and fought off a fresh wave of tears.

“When…?” Sakura gave me a confused look, but I couldn’t bring myself to say it.

“There’s something you should probably know,” Kakashi said, sparing me.

Naruto was too furious to follow Riyame like the others. Instead, he stood glaring at Sasuke, fuming in anger.

“What the heck is wrong with you?” Naruto didn’t wait for an answer before he threw a punch at him. Sasuke easily deflected it, which made him angrier, “Answer me,” He shouted.

“Nothing’s wrong with me, you idiot,” Sasuke growled in return. Naruto was practically seeing red.

“You’re full of crap, and we both know it.” Naruto jabbed a finger in his direction, “Why would you say something like that?”

“What? The truth?” Sasuke crossed his arms, unrepentantly turning away from him. Naruto’s hand stopped his retreat. He wasn’t getting out of this. “Get your hands off me, loser,” He growled.

“You’re the loser,” Naruto shouted, “And you just had to be a sore loser didn’t you? Why couldn’t you accept the fact that someone was better than you at something?”

“I don’t have time for you, dunce,” He barked, yanking away from his reach. Naruto’s nostrils flared as he glared at Sasuke’s retreating form.

The blond let out a growl of pure frustration, “Fine!” He threw his arms into the air, “I’m going to punch something until I don’t want to kill you.” He turned his back on the Uchiha.

“Whatever…” was his great reply.

Man did that jerk tap dance on every one of his nerves. It was bad enough that he treated his own team like crap, but Riyame hadn’t done anything to deserve being treated like dirt. There was a break in Naruto’s anger long enough for him to wonder how she was. Sasuke had to have hurt her feelings really badly for her to run off like that.

After thinking of Riyame, his anger cooled a bit. He was pretty sure she was crying when she ran off too. He decided to follow her, just to check on her, but when he turned around, his path was blocked.

He stumbled backward in shock. His heart began to race as he stared into the face of Itachi Uchiha. Of all people to come face to face with within the walls of the Village, Itachi was the last one he had expected.

“Y-you? There’s no way,” Naruto stuttered, tripping over his feet to put some space between them.

“Don’t make a fuss.” His voice had a soothing quality to it that set Naruto on edge.

“Yeah right!”

“Come quietly and no one gets hurt.” His words held a deadly promise, and Naruto knew he wouldn’t hesitate to act on it.

“Like it’s going to be that easy.” Naruto didn’t his best to sound confident.

“It could be, but that’s your choice.” His face didn’t falter even once, and Naruto’s unease grew heavier.

“So where’s fish face?”

“He did not accompany me. Changing the subject will only delay the inevitable,” Itachi responded cooly.

“Maybe you shouldn’t run your trap next time because he’s not going anywhere with you.” Sasuke’s growl came from behind the other Uchiha. Naruto started, but Itachi must have known he was there.

The older brother cast a lazy look over his shoulder, “Haven’t you learned your lesson, little brother? Don’t meddle in other’s affairs.”

Sasuke stood his ground as he walked around him to stand at Naruto’s side, “I don’t care what you have to say. Today is the day you die.” Those six words sent a chill down Naruto’s spine. He had a feeling that they weren’t getting out of this one.

Sakura’s face was still frozen in shock, “I had no idea there was anyone else.”

I wiped the tears from my face and nodded, “I’m sorry,” I whimpered. I hated that they saw me blubbering like a baby. This wasn’t the impression I wanted to leave them with.

“Oh, stop that,” Sakura scolded, putting her hands on her hips, “We’re friends aren’t we?” For a moment, I thought I would start sobbing again. This was the first time anyone acknowledged me as anything but an annoyance. My chest constricted with emotion. I didn’t trust my voice, so I just nodded.

“Exactly,” She said, with a warm smile, “Friends support each other. Sometimes you just have to cry.” My returning smile was tight, but it felt right.

I took in a shuttered breath to relax. Maybe if I just avoided Sasuke’s radar I could avoid heartbreak again. I could do that, right? Yes, I could. I had friends now. This wasn’t my squad. I wasn’t alone. I could handle never being a family as long as I wasn’t lonely anymore. That thought brought a soft smile to my face, and I knew it was true.

“Thank you.” It was a near whisper, but I had a feeling she heard me.

Any calm that had washed over me was suddenly replaced with alarm. This jarring urgency felt like it dropped hot coals into the coiling fear in my stomach. Every muscle in my body tightened in anticipation, and my heart began to race. Not again.

“Riyame,” Kakashi-sensei’s voice was low, “What is it?”

“I-Nothing. I just…I think I dropped something when I ran away.” It was a poor attempt at covering up my panic and we both knew it.

“I’ll get it. What did you drop?” His tone was friendly, but I knew he didn’t believe me for a moment.

“No!” When our eyes met I was certain, “I mean, I’ve got it,” I muttered, walking away at as brisk a pace as I dared with the eyes on my back. Once I was out of their view, I ran.

I reached the training field quickly, but when I did, I froze.

Sasuke and Naruto stood with their backs facing me, both of them in varying phases of readiness. The other person in the clearing was someone I had hoped I’d never have to face again. He was older, his hair longer and his eyes more sinister. Harsh, dark rings hung under his eyes, and his face was a cold mask. Maybe I was imagining him. He could be a figment of my imagination, right?

My stomach flipped, and I thought for a horrible second that I was going to be sick. When his eyes caught mine, I forgot how to breathe. I knew then that there was no way this wasn’t real, and that terrified me.

“What are you looking at,” Sasuke demanded. Two pairs of eyes were on me, “What are you doing here?” I could barely hear Sasuke’s impolite growl. The world around me was growing more faded as Itachi’s eyes held mine. I was a bird staring into the eyes of a snake.


	3. Tortured

I stumbled backward when his eyes shifted to Sasuke. If I could have, I would have turned to run then too, but my legs wouldn’t comply anymore.

“Interesting.” There was no emotion in his voice, sending a chill down my spine. He started forward, and I froze. My body refused to listen, and there was no getting out of this.

“Enough talk,” Sasuke growled, but he was as shocked as I was when Itachi walked right past him, “What are you—your fight is with me.” Itachi ignored him, swatting off an attempted attack with ease.

By the time Itachi was close enough to touch, I thought my heart was going to pound out of my chest. My mouth was dry, and a bitter taste developed on the back of my tongue. When he reached toward me, I didn’t even have time to flinch from him before his hand tangled into my hair and tipped my head back into the light.

“Okay, okay! I get it! Stop,” Naruto pleaded, “It’s me you want, isn’t it? You’ve made your point, I’ll go just don’t hurt anyone.” All eyes were on Naruto then.

“That is very noble of you,” Itachi replied, “but they stepped into this of their own accord. They must learn their lesson.” A hard edge entered his voice as his eyes shifted back to me. “First, I think I have something that needs to be addressed.”

“You’re stalling,” Sasuke growled. I cringed away from the acid in his voice.

“Do you not recognize her?”

No! He couldn’t do this to me! This wasn’t happening. Panic began clawing its way through my body. I tried to fight it down, but the fight left my body shaking. The bitter taste in my mouth started to bring forth nausea, and if I didn’t find a way out, it was over.

“Recognize her. What-“

“Honestly little brother,” Itachi sighed, “Does she look that different?” His voice took on a disapproving tone that I hadn’t expected, and my heart sank through the hysteria. A sharp yank tilted my head back further into the light.

“Stop stalling and fight me like a man,” Sasuke growled.

“I knew it!” Naruto’s shout took all of us off guard. Naruto was looking between the three of us wildly.

“Stay out of it,” Sasuke sneered between clenched teeth.

“I knew you looked alike. And you call me the idiot, idiot.”

“Are you so blind that you don’t recognize your own sister?” Itachi’s tone dripped with condescension.

“Your sister?” Naruto punched Sasuke’s arm aggressively, and I winced. Sasuke glowered back at him.

“I said ‘stay out of it’, dunce.”

“No. Oh, you are so getting it later,” Naruto spat back, “You make me sick.”

Itachi’s voice was in my ear, “You should breathe.” I shivered, sucking in a much-needed breath. He untangled his grip from my hair, and I nearly cried in relief. He shoved me aside, and I hit the ground. And there I stayed, curling in on myself, rocking and fighting the world that threatened to close in on me.

I vaguely heard Sasuke’s growl of frustration, and a chirping sound. “Chidori.” Blue lightning surrounded Sasuke’s hand. He charged at our brother, who brushed his jutsu off and tossed him aside easily. My heart lurched in panic when his hand lodged into the earth several meters away from us.

“Didn’t you learn your lesson last time,” Naruto shouted at him.

“We aren’t done,” Sasuke barked, trying to yank his hand from the ground.

“I think we are.” Itachi advanced toward Naruto, and I watched, frozen in terror. My teeth found my lip, my mind lagging as I tried to think of what to do.

I had to get help. That was our only chance of surviving this. Maybe if I could run to the village fast enough, I could get there before it was too late. I was good at running. Sure, Itachi was probably faster, but…I slapped myself mentally. If I thought like that I would throw myself into a panic attack. The walls were already threatening to close in.

I sucked in a breath and dragged myself to my feet with shaking arms. Before I could even so much as shift a foot in the direction of the village, a kunai stuck into the ground.

“I haven’t forgotten about you.” Dread filled me and threatened to suffocate me. When he faced me, I stumbled backward, my back hitting a tree and knocking a yelp from me.

I had to get out. I had to run. I couldn’t face him. I wasn’t strong enough. I wasn’t ready to die.

“No!” Naruto stepped in front of him, blocking me from sight and silencing the rambling in my brain. “Leave her out of this,” He pleaded, “She hasn’t done anything.” My surprise was like another slap to the face. My chest constricted with emotion that pricked my eyes.

“Once again, that is very noble of you, but leaving her be is not something I can risk.” He tossed Naruto aside with a swipe of his hand. I winced and let out a panicked whimper.

Our eyes met again, “You’re still weak.” He wasn’t wrong, and that fact hurt.

“I told you,” Sasuke said, “We’re. Not. Done.” He managed to dislodge his hand from the ground, and he charged at him…again. I couldn’t watch as Itachi kicked him across the clearing. I heard a pair of grunts, telling me that Sasuke had collided with Naruto.

“Stay down,” Itachi warned. Of course, he didn’t listen. He made hand signs I didn’t recognize until a blue lightning surrounded his right hand again.

“Die!” Again he charged, but our brother deflected him. All of his weight slammed into me, knocking the breath from my lungs with an oof. His jutsu demolished a chunk of the tree and showered us with splinters.

“Have you grown dull?” Itachi glared down at him, “Stay down. I will not warn you again.”

Sasuke heaved himself off me, and I let out a groan of relief. “Stay out of the way,” He barked.

Panicking, I gripped his arm and said, “You’ll get yourself killed.”

He pulled away, brushed himself off, and pushed himself to his feet. Without looking back, he said, “Just stay out of the way.”

“You are worse than a child,” Itachi scolded, “If you keep coming at me like this, you will get yourself killed. Now, heed our sister’s warning and stay down.”

“Our sister is a coward,” Sasuke growled. The comment was like an unexpected sucker punch.

“I don’t have time for you. Stop running your arrogant mouth and go play ninja somewhere else.” His punch to Sasuke’s gut made me cringe. A few more, then he kneed him and threw him aside.

His eyes were dark and unfathomable as they settled on me. I practically dissolved into a crying mess, and I hated myself for it.

When he chose to ignore me, shame weighed me down. I had to fight not to curl in on myself and give in to the panic that threatened to consume me. I dug my nails into my arms, hoping it would bring me some sort of clarity in the pain, but none came.

A new fear rushed through me as Itachi grabbed Naruto up by the collar. I jumped to my feet and gripped onto the mangled tree to keep my wobbling legs from giving underneath me. A war waged in my head. Did I rush in and stop him? Or did I run? Every ounce of common sense I had told me to run, to find someone more capable of saving him. But, there was no guarantee that I would reach the village in time, or alive.

If I stopped him, there was definitely no way I would survive. Itachi wouldn’t hesitate to take me out, and I would suffer before he finished me. Self-contempt settled into the cracks of my internal argument. What was I doing? Naruto wouldn’t think twice. I may not have known him very long, but I knew that much. We were supposed to be friends…Could I do something like that?

Yes. I could. I steeled myself and listened to the pounding of my heart. My body trembled but I charged anyway, throwing myself between them. Naruto hit the ground—I knew by his grunt. I threw my arms out in an attempt to block him from sight. And then I made the mistake of meeting his gaze.

The sky turned red and the color around me inverted. The world shifted, morphed into the last place I wanted to be. I knew it too well from my nightmares.

My heart pounded in my ears, and my stomach twisted into a knot that I was sure couldn’t be undone. I felt my brother’s terrifying presence behind me, but when I spun to face him, I saw no one. Behind me again, then no one. He was playing with me. Manipulating me. Trying to drive me to the edge.

“Stop toying with me,” I cried out desperately. A hand tangled into my hair and twisted my wrist behind my back at an awkward angle. I let out a whine as my arm and scalp protested.

“This is my world. I’d suggest you not tempt fate.”

I blinked once, but when my eyes opened, I let out a small scream of shock. Everything was covered in gore. Corpses littered the ground, each of them mutilated in a different than the last. Each of them a face I recognized. I tried to close my eyes, they were still there.

“You can’t close your eyes and pretend that nothing is happening in my world, Riyame.” His low voice was at my ear. He shoved me forward, his grip on me still firm.

Blood splattered beneath my feet, and though I jumped and screamed I couldn’t avoid the bodies that fell before me. I still continued onward. A body was cut down in front of me, yet I never stopped moving. Even through the tears that fell from my eyes, everything was in terrifying clarity.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shut out this world. There was no escaping. I screamed to keep their cries from filling my head, and I dug my heels into the ground. Nothing saved me.

We stood before our parents, and I knew what was next. Both sat back-to-back, waiting for their end.

No, not this. I shook my head wildly, ignoring the pain from Itachi’s constricting grip. “Please! Not this, not this,” My plea was a broken sob that made me sound like I was being strangled.

“Do you want me to end your suffering?” I nodded wildly. He said nothing in return. Blood sprayed me and my parents fell to the ground. The shock hit like a ton of bricks, but it didn’t last long before a raw scream of suppressed agony tore my chest in two. Over the sound, words echoed in my ear, “Seventy-one hours and fifty-nine seconds to go.”

Sasuke’s body landed with a thud close to Naruto. The blond stumbled to his raven-haired teammate.

“Sasuke?” The boy grunted in return, but he made no move to get up. Naruto’s attention shifted to Riyame, worried that Itachi’s attention was still on her.

His heart practically tore in two when he saw her crumble. Had he not watched it, he would have never thought he’d ever see a person fall apart. His pity for her was short-lived before Itachi’s gaze landed on Naruto. He jumped to his feet, preparing for a fight.

His intense stare sent a chill of unease through him. Sharingan had always creeped him out. Maybe it was the kekkei genkai’s red color or what it could do. Sure, it was cool, but there was a darker side that didn’t sit right with him.

He was yanked out of his distraction when Itachi grabbed him up by his collar. Naruto struggled, but he made the mistake of looking into his eyes. He began to find it harder to fight, his body growing heavy. He fought against his drooping eyelids with all of his might. He needed to stay awake. Why did he need to again? What was the harm in—he was jarred awake when the ground rushed to meet him.

“What the-“ his protest was cut short when he saw who stood above him. Her arms were extended as she tried to block him from sight. Naruto knew he should have felt grateful, but he was horrified.

“Riyame, no!” The air became thick, a creepy vibe pressing down on them. Naruto had felt this before, and he knew when Riyame went limp—help up by Itachi’s grip on her collar—this day was about to get worse.

Naruto rose to his feet, “Riyame?” He couldn’t manage anything louder than a whisper.

A scream nearly made him jump from his skin. His heart pounding, Naruto paled. More screams followed, and Naruto was frozen in place. What had he done?

Naruto didn’t have to watch the display long before Riyame disappeared from in front of him. He barely caught Itachi’s frown before he too was gone.

“Where did he go?” It took Naruto a minute to place the voice or to realize that it was speaking to him. He looked up at the familiar figure. Jiraiya’s hands rested on Naruto’s shoulders.

“He disappeared,” was Naruto’s jumbled response.

Pervy Sage cursed under his breath, “Kakashi?”

“I don’t know,” He responded.

“The girl?”

“Riyame!” Naruto pulled away from sage, but Jiraiya maintained a strong grip on him.

“Slow down, kid.” If it was meant to soothe him, it did the opposite.

Naruto glared at him, “Let go.” He tore away from him and stumbled to his sensei’s side.

“Easy Naruto,” his sensei said calmly as Naruto steadied himself on Kakashi’s forearm.

“Is she-“

“Unconscious,” Kakashi replied, “She’ll be okay as soon as we get her to the hospital.” Any other words died in his head before he could get them out, so Naruto had no choice but to accept Kakashi’s words.

“Where’d Sasuke go? I was sure I saw him when we arrived,” Pervy Sage said.

Naruto’s blood began to boil as he looked around the clearing. No Sasuke. All of his anger and frustration at the situation hit him then.

“That son of a-“

“Naruto,” Kakashi scolded, “Enough.”

“I can’t believe that jerk—no, of course, I can. You coward,” He shouted at the trees.

“Calm down, would ya,” Jiraiya said, giving the boy an irritated huff.

“Alert the Anbu Black Ops,” Kakashi said, “I need to take her to the Hokage. Naruto, either come with us and keep your temper under control or go cool off.”

“I’m coming with you,” Naruto grumbled. His eyes flickered to Riyame. She was so pale that Naruto thought she looked sick. Guilt settled into the cracks of his anger, but he was too prideful to let that go just yet. Not until he made Sasuke pay somehow.

“She is not going to be happy,” Pervy Sage sighed.

When they reached the hospital, nurses were quick to direct them to a room with a bed. They were hesitant to allow Naruto to stay with her until Tsunade arrived, but Kakashi managed to talk them into it. He would have to remember to thank him later. When the nurse finally left them alone in the room, Naruto had a feeling that they would hear the Hokage long before they saw her.


	4. Questions

He was right, of course. Her voice boomed down the hallway as she ordered the hospital staff out of her way, her heels angrily clicking on the floor. Where the door not open, her entrance would have been grander as she took in the scene. They must have been an odd group. Riyame, unconscious and ghostly, and a ragtag group of three waiting for her.

“Out of the way,” She barked, walking up to Riyame’s bedside. Naruto was quick to dodge her. “What happened?”

“Itachi-“ Kakashi barely got out his name before Tsunade turned on him.

“This is the second time he’s gotten into this village,” She growled, “How exactly did he manage to attack residents of this village without the Anbu Black Ops so much as noticing?”

“I don’t know, my lady,” Kakashi’s reply was polite, but it was lined with a similar anger.

“They will answer for this,” She growled, her caramel eyes landing on Jiraiya, “Do me a favor. Tell Danzo that I want a word in my office in fifteen minutes. If he doesn’t show, he’s mine.” Her attention was on Naruto before Pervy Sage got a chance to respond, “Are you hurt?”

“No-“

“Good.” She finally focused on Riyame, “Did she sustain any injury?”

“Not really,” Naruto said, “Sasuke took most of it.” Not that he really felt bad for him since he ran away.

“And where is Sasuke?”

“He took off like a-“

“We don’t know,” Kakashi corrected. Naruto glowered at him. He wasn’t done with his rant.

Tsunade felt the girl’s forehead and frowned. A light blue glow surrounded her hand. Several moments passed and her brow creased. Naruto began to feel uneasy and restless. Her face was the same color as the sheets, and he would have thought she was dead if he didn’t know better.

“It’s not working,” He grumbled. If anything, Naruto thought she looked worse.

“Be quiet or leave,” the old lady responded sourly.

Another awkward minute passed before Riyame so much as fidgeted. Naruto leaned forward, his breath catching in his throat. Sure enough, her eyes slowly fluttered open. A grin split Naruto’s face, but it quickly disappeared when he saw the hollow look in her eye. Three sighs of relief radiated through the room. It seemed like he wasn’t the only one who held his breath.

Her eyes scanned the room, taking in each face. “Where am I?” Her voice sounded so fragile that Naruto cringed.

“The hospital,” Tsunade’s voice was more gentle than he had ever heard it, “Do you know how you got here?” Riyame didn’t respond.

The room was still bright compared to the darkness, but I welcomed it. Four presences bared down on me as my brain struggled to wrap around Lady Hokage’s question. I couldn’t distinguish one from another yet, so they formed a giant, distracting mass.

“I don’t know.” Speaking felt strange, like I was in control of a body that wasn’t mine. I blinked to bring the room into better focus. Above me, Lady Tsunade hovered, asking me a string of questions I wasn’t listening to. I attempted to shift to ease the discomfort of being in the spotlight, but my body was heavy.

“What were you thinking?” It was a voice I hadn’t been expecting, yet his presence was very clear to me now. I turned my head to look at him, and I was met with a confusing expression on Naruto’s face. It was angry, yet…I couldn’t place the other.

“Naruto,” I heard Kakashi-sensei say gently.

“He could have killed you!” Shock kept me silent. Concern. That’s what it was. He was worried about me. He was mad because he was…worried about me?

“Enough,” Sensei warned.

Naruto glowered at him over his shoulder, turned on his heel and began to storm out. He paused at the door and threw a glance back at me before leaving the room entirely.

The conversation continued around the room, ignoring what had just happened. I pushed myself into a sitting position, noticing right away that my back was tender.

“What happened?” The question wasn’t directed at me, but I didn’t think I could answer even if it was. A lump formed in my throat, and for a moment, I thought I was going to embarrass myself and cry.

“We had just finished a training exercise. Sakura and I…accompanied Riyame back to the village.” Our eyes met briefly, and I realized that this was his attempt to spare me. “She insisted on returning to the field because she had dropped something, but I knew something was wrong. So, I sent Sakura ahead to get Jiraiya-“

“She found me in the tavern by the way. What do you teach these kids?” I barely caught the dirty look that silenced him.

“-and searched the surrounding areas,” Kakashi continued, “I didn’t realize who had returned, and I got there too late. I might have had him, but my team’s safety took priority. Master Jiraiya arrived moments after I did.” A new guilt joined the emotions stirring inside of me.

“They weren’t very hard to find, with all of the explosions and then the screaming.” I kept my eyes on my hands, avoiding eye contact with anyone else in the room.

The most overwhelming emotion was the shame. Had I not panicked, much of what happened could have been different. Naruto would have never been in danger. A criminal might have been apprehended. What else had I screwed up?

“Are you well enough to tell us what happened?” This question was aimed at me. Her voice was gentler, almost soothing like I was a frightened creature stuck in a corner. I grimaced, trying to work up the will to speak.

When I finally did, I had to clear my throat of emotion. I explained how I was convinced I had dropped something, but when I got there the boys were staring my older brother down. I condensed the story, skipping the part where I nearly fell apart when he set his sights on me.

“He ignored me and went for Naruto, so I just…I acted. I didn’t think about it.” I paused, considering how to best explain what happened next. “I don’t remember anything after that.” I rushed over the words, and I knew they wouldn’t believe me.

No one challenged my explanation. I let out a sigh of relief when Tsunade asked Kakashi-sensei a few follow-up questions.

“I want you to stay here for a few days.” It was so unexpected.

“Wait…why?”

“I want to be sure that there’s no lasting damage,” She replied, “Once I’m sure, you can return to your training.” I knew better than to argue with her, so I said nothing. “Now, everyone out. She needs to rest.”

“I’d like a few words with her if she doesn’t mind.” I could feel sensei’s eyes on me, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at him.

“Riyame,” Tsunade questioned. I nodded, unable to speak. “Alright, let’s go Jiraiya. I have a meeting to prepare for.” Kakashi didn’t speak until they left the room entirely.

“I won’t ask you what he did to you,” He said, “I’ve been through it. It’s not an experience I like to relive either. But, what you did was foolish. It’s bad enough that Sasuke doesn’t think when your older brother is involved, but I would have thought you would have more sense.” I gnawed on my lip, knowing I deserved every bit of this scolding and more. I was an idiot. Plain and simple.

“I recommend that you tell him,” He continued.

“He knows,” My voice was a cracked whisper, but it was all I could manage at the moment.

“How?” There was no confusion in his question.

“Our brother.” A tear pricked my eye, and I wiped it away before it could fall.

“I won’t press you anymore,” He assured me, reached forward to ruffle my hair, “Get some rest, kiddo.” And with that, he left me alone.

I laid back, welcoming the embrace of the soft pillow. I thought about sleeping. I was more than tired enough, but every time I closed my eyes, there was blood. After several attempts, I felt ill, so I stopped trying.

Kakashi sighed when he stepped around the corner. He didn’t like having to leave her there alone, but she needed time if she was going to face anyone else. Silently, he wondered how much more damage Itachi did to her. No one in the room was fooled by her edited recounting of what really happened.

When he reached the lobby, he noticed the Hokage speaking to a blonde girl—who looked to be around the same age as the members of his team. Tsunade glanced at Kakashi as he approached.

“Do you have a problem with her staying for a few days?”

“Of course not, my lady,” He replied, “She’s more shaken than she wants to admit. She’s not ready to go home yet.”

“I’ll evaluate her, and I’ll tell you when I think it’s safe for her to return to her normal life.”

“You mean: I will be evaluating her,” The girl cut in.

“Yes, Kagame. You will be evaluating her,” Tsunade agreed with a sigh.

“Who is it this time?” Kagame’s casual tone reminded Kakashi of Naruto’s. She spoke to the Sannin as though they were equals.

Lady Hokage handed her a paper, “You’ll have to speak to her yourself.” Kagame’s reply was a sour look until she scanned the paper.

“Possible psychological trauma…lovely,” She muttered under her breath. Her blue eyes shifted to Kakashi, “I’ll take good care of her, don’t you worry.”

“I’ll trust your judgment,” Kakashi replied evenly.

“Familiarize yourself before you speak to her,” Tsunade said, her tone almost motherly.

“I know, I know.” Kagame waved off her reminder and read the paper in her hands while wandering off into the hospital.

Kakashi had a sudden thought and sighed.

Tsunade looked at him, “Kagame is specially trained in treating the mind. Plus I think it’ll do that girl some good to make another friend. I’ve read through the hospital’s files on her…” She shook her head in disbelief, “Until about two years ago, she was in and out of the hospital with a ‘mysterious illness’. It’s like the idiots here don’t know what trauma is…”

“That’s not it, my lady,” Kakashi assured her, “I’m going to have to rescue Sasuke.”

“Rescue him?” She raised a brow, “From what?”

“Naruto.” One word was all it took before she understood.

“I would go then,” She said.

Almost the instant he stepped outside, he could hear them going at it.

“Apologize,” Naruto demanded.

“Go away, idiot,” Sasuke’s growl was an attempt at menacing.

He should know the knucklehead better than that by now, Kakashi thought.

“Not until you apologize to your sister.” So both of them knew already. He wasn’t entirely surprised by that. At least that saved him the effort of telling either of them himself.

“I said: go away,” Their argument was growing more distant, but Kakashi knew he would have to intervene soon or Naruto was going to drive everyone insane.

He managed to pluck Sasuke from the street mid-step without Naruto seeing him. Sasuke began to protest until he saw who it was that had saved him.

“I guess I should thank you,” Sasuke grumbled, “He was getting on my nerves.”

Kakashi gave a slight, disapproving shake of his head. “You can thank me, but you can’t apologize to your sister?”

He groaned in protest, “Not you too—wait! You knew?” The Uchiha’s face flushed with disbelief and indignant anger. “Two days…we’ve been stuck with her for two days, and you never told me?”

“Believe me, Sasuke, I wish I had,” Kakashi replied, a hard edge in his tone, “maybe if I had gotten it out of the way instead of leaving it up to her to do so, things might have gone a little more smoothly.” Sasuke’s expression shifted to one Kakashi had rarely seen before. It was fleeting, but there was definitely regret there.

“Whatever,” He grumbled, turning away from the jonin. Kakashi placed a hand on his shoulder to stop his retreat.

“I didn’t grab you to scold you,” Kakashi said, “I was just stating a point. I’m sure you have a lot of questions regarding the situation at hand, and I thought you might need answers.”

Sasuke shot him an uncomfortable look over his shoulder. “I’m not getting out of this am I?” Kakashi shook his head, and his student’s expression became stormy. “Then can we go somewhere a little more private?”

Kakashi allowed him that. At least he was willing to talk, and that was something he didn’t know if he’d manage a second time. He led Sasuke to a lone rooftop. Sasuke must have deemed it worthy because he faced his sensei head on.

“Before you ask anything of me, I have a question of my own.” The Uchiha motioned for him to continue. “Why did you disappear when I arrived?”

“I wasn’t needed, and my goal wasn’t achieved. There was no point for me to stay.” Blunt and calculating.

His answer made Kakashi frown at him through the mask. It was exactly what he had been expecting. Though he suspected Sasuke made an attempt to chase his brother, there was no point in asking.

“I’m sure Riyame would have been relieved if you were there when she woke up.” His tone was nonchalant, carefully keeping accusations out of it.

“You and I both know that’s a lie,” Sasuke retorted dryly.

“I won’t force you to apologize, but I know it would mean a lot to her if you did.” Sasuke scowled at him in return. “I said I would answer your questions, but you have to ask them for that to happen.”

“Why wasn’t I told?” It was the exact question Kakashi had been expecting and ready for.

“They thought she wouldn’t survive the trauma, but when she came around, they were going to.” His mouth was half open for a reply that Kakashi intercepted. “She was afraid of your rejection. She was sick, she was already alone, and it was easier to stay that way. You should understand that better than anyone.”

“So…what? She was more willing to lie in the hospital and die than face me?” The questioned was loaded with skepticism. “What? Did she think I’d hate her for living?”

“I doubt I could do that particular question any justice even if I tried.”

“So…yes. Paranoid fool…” He glowered at the ground.

“Would you blame her?” Kakashi asked skeptically, “I wouldn’t.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Look at how you treated her today and the day before,” Kakashi replied, “Whether you knew or not makes no difference. You could have cared less who she was. Without so much as a thought toward her feelings, you put her down. In her eyes, you rejected her. Can you tell me for a fact that it would have been different had you known from the beginning?” Sasuke said nothing, only opening and closing his mouth a few times as though he were on the verge of a response. “Do you see what I mean?”

Sasuke let out an agitated sigh, “I guess…” He had a feeling that the boy didn’t get his point entirely. “She obviously doesn’t listen.” Kakashi raised a brow in question, “She doesn’t hate him.”

“Did you really expect her to?” Kakashi retorted dryly, “I’ll give you some leeway with the fact that you thought she died, but think back to the Riyame before the massacre. Did you honestly think she would hate Itachi?” Sasuke couldn’t deny it.

“And now, is she…”

“Is that concern I hear?” Kakashi smiled at Sasuke’s returning scowl, “She’s…well, I can’t quite say she’s ‘okay’, but she’s alive. She’ll be in the hospital for a few days to make sure there’s no permanent psychological damage.”

Sasuke visibly stiffened, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “I have somewhere to be,” He muttered. Before Kakashi could stop him, he was already walking away.

He didn’t press the issue. Sasuke would open up if or when he was ready. It was better this way. Now Kakashi had a chance to grab Naruto and explain the situation. If he did, maybe he would get off Sasuke’s back. It was a long shot, and he knew it, but it was better than the bickering.

In his search for Naruto, he saw a glimpse of orange enter the hospital. Kakashi followed it, trusting his gut. Sure enough, there the blond was. He was now in a heated argument with the Hokage. Kakashi considered himself lucky that Naruto had the sense to keep his voice down.

“Why not?” Naruto’s frustrated protest urged Kakashi closer.

“She needs rest, Naruto,” Lady Tsunade said in an attempt at patience, “This is a hospital, not a place where you can traipse wherever you please.”

“I just want to check on her,” He reasoned, “It’s my fault she’s in here to begin with.”

“It’s no one’s fault,” Tsunade said firmly.

“It is,” He insisted, “I just want to make sure she’s alright. Is that too much to ask?”

She let out a defeated sigh, “You have five minutes, but if she’s resting-“

“Yeah, yeah, I got it.” Naruto waved her away impatiently, but she grabbed him as he moved to step around her.

“I mean it,” She growled.

“I’ll escort him if you’d like,” Kakashi interjected.

“Please do,” She sighed in relief.

Kakashi placed a hand on Naruto’s shoulder as a thankful silence passed between them. He guided him to Riyame’s room. The kid was practically vibrating beneath his hand, whether with excitement or some other emotion Kakashi didn’t know.

“Any particular reason you fought so hard for this visit?” Kakashi figured he might as well sate his curiosity while they walked.

“I feel bad,” Naruto sighed.

“Why?” Kakashi quirked a brow.

“She saved me, and I ripped her head off when it’s Sasuke who deserves it,” Naruto answered, his brows knitting over a cross expression. Kakashi accepted his answer, interested to see what he intended to do or say.

When they reached her room, Kakashi took the initiative and gently knocked on the door. A small voice carried through.

“Come in.” Kakashi frowned, but he opened the door and ushered Naruto and himself through it. She was in the process of sitting up as they approached. Kakashi noted that she had changed her clothing, but she was still ghostly. Her contrasting dark hair and eyes gave her a haunted appearance that worried him.

The instant he released Naruto, Kakashi watched him with bated breath. He was hesitant at first, but soon enough he spoke.

“I’m sorry…about earlier… You stepped in front of me, and I thought…” Naruto sighed, unable to finish.

“Don’t,” was Riyame’s reply, “no one told me to face my brother. I chose to.” Silence filled the room as Naruto watched Riyame, who didn’t look up from her folded hands in her lap. Kakashi decided to break it.

“I hoped you would be resting,” Kakashi said.

“I couldn’t sleep.” Her voice sounded as hollow as her eyes looked.

“You want to talk about it,” Naruto prompted.

“No. They’re just nightmares.” She spoke more to herself, but it was enough to silence the blond. Kakashi could see the sympathy on his face, but he knew from experience that Naruto couldn’t get it. He could only imagine what Itachi had chosen to show her.


	5. My New Friend

I winced away from a particularly painful memory. A peaceful night of sleep couldn’t come soon enough, and I had a feeling that I wouldn’t be so lucky for a while. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Naruto shift awkwardly.

“Well, we just thought we’d check up on you. See how you were settling in,” Kakashi-sensei said casually.

“I’m fine.” My voice was somber. If I had heard another person sound so dead, I would be worried myself.

“I would believe you…if you didn’t sound so depressed.” Our eyes met, and I felt the urge to cry. The compassion in his was enough to make my chest tighten. “Look, I know you aren’t used to being around people who care about you, but you’ll have to start getting used to it now.”

I bit my lip to keep it from quivering. Warmth flooded over me. It was like a soothing blanket that gave me the feeling that everything would be okay. Something involuntary happened then as well. I smiled. Team seven wasn’t all bad…

Naruto’s cheesy ear-to-ear grin hit me like a train. “I’ll make sure Sasuke gives you the apology you deserve, believe it!” He gave me a thumbs up before galloping out the door. I felt my cheeks flush.

“That’s an interesting flush of color,” Kakashi-sensei said, giving me an amused chuckle. I avoided his gaze, focusing intently on my paper white hands. “Most develop a rather intense disliking for him, so this is…intriguing, to say the least.” Heat overcame my cheeks. “No matter…a blush is thousands of times better than no color at all. I’m just glad to know it’s still there.” He ruffled my hair. “I know it’ll be hard, but…try to get some sleep.” He was then gone, and I was alone again.

I wasn’t about to tell him how slim the possibility of that happening really was. When the bouts of nightmares came, they overtook everything. From my dreams to my every waking moment. There were times where it was debilitating. I’d lose so much sleep that I’d be dead on my feet.

It was going to be a long day and an even longer night. Whatever positive emotion that had taken hold left behind a melancholy echo as it fled.

Eventually, I laid back down. I avoided closing my eyes altogether so that the inevitable wouldn’t return. Occasionally I made the mistake of losing the battle with my drooping eyelids, but it wasn’t long before I jerked awake in a cold sweat. I tried to find patterns in the tiled ceiling to distract myself. They were all boring, solid white.

By the time the sun finally set, I found myself escaping into tense scenarios about being face to face with my brother now that he knew. They were stressful enough that they kept my mind reeling, in turn, effectively keeping me from teetering on the edge of sleep. Thoughts of that alone were enough to fill the night with worry.

When the sun rose over the horizon again, my eyes were gritty and my nerves were raw. The light, though it warmed me and the overly sized window let in plenty of it, didn’t do much to brighten up the bleak atmosphere of the room.

The sun was higher in the sky when I sensed an unfamiliar presence stop outside the door.

I spoke before they got the chance to knock, “Come in.”

The girl that stepped in fixed her quizzical gaze on me. She looked to be about a year or two older. Her bangs framed her face and the rest of her hair was tied back. She was slender with golden hair other girls would kill for. The intensity of her eyes reminded me of the Hokage, though they were cerulean in color as opposed to caramel. She surveyed me with polite interest before a warm smile softened the critical expression on her face.

“Hi, my name’s Kagame Tsukasa.” She tucked a lock of golden hair behind her ear and glanced down at a notepad in her hand. “I’ll be taking care of you for the duration of your stay.” Her hands on her hips, she looked me over. “I take it you didn’t sleep?”

“Not really,” I replied honestly, pushing myself into an upright position.

“I told her,” she muttered to herself triumphantly, taking a moment to write something else, “Tsunade was right, though, I have my work cut out for me.” I could feel the look of confusion on my face. She gave me another smile, “Never mind.” She pulled up a stool and sat down beside my bed. “Look…I’m not like the rest of the stiffs that work here. If it were up to me, you wouldn’t have to stay in this asylum. I’d treat you in the comfort of your own home, but the Hokage seems to want you here. So, here you’ll have to stay until we’re sure that there hasn’t been any permanent damage done to your psyche. Okay?”

Her casual demeanor and her, almost curt, bluntness were unexpected. On first glance, she was intimidating and powerful. She carried herself the same elegant way that the Hokage did, but that changed when she spoke.

“I hear you’ve been having nightmares,” She began. How did she…then I remembered how I had let it slip to Kakashi-sensei. I frowned, regretting having ever opened my mouth.

“I get it,” Kagame said, “You’re not ready to get into that with someone you just met. So let’s move on to a different subject for now…actually, why don’t we get to know each other a little bit?” I said nothing, so she took that as her cue to speak first. “I’m thirteen, my parents died when I was two, and Lady Tsunade practically raised me. Your turn.” She looked at me expectantly, and I had to fight the sudden urge to laugh.

“You’re very…direct.”

“She speaks!” Kagame motioned to me grandly, and I couldn’t help but crack a smile. “That’s good. Now that there’s some color in your cheeks, why don’t we start with the basics?”

After a bit of prompting, I said, “I’m twelve, I’d rather not talk about my family, and I’m not very interesting.”

“Not very interesting?” Kagame quirked a golden brow at me, “I, for one, am very interested in why you don’t think you’re interesting.”

“I don’t do anything,” I muttered with a shrug.

“You’re a ninja,” Kagame said with a matching shrug.

“Yes, but-“

“Then you do something,” She said, cutting across my argument. “Not as boring as you thought, huh?”

“I’m still pretty boring,” I muttered defensively. And to think I was offended when I thought someone else had called me the same thing…the hypocrisy was almost laughable.

“Oh really,” She challenged, “If I read your file correctly, you were in an advanced program at the academy that allowed you to graduate a year early. How is that boring?”

“I read a lot of books,” I retorted dryly, “that’s as boring as it gets.”

“Depends on the book.” As she and I went back and forth, I found myself growing increasingly frustrated. She had a counter for everything I said. She fired off question after question. This girl was relentless.

“Are the nightmares because of your clan’s massacre?”

“Yes…wait, what?” I could feel my cheeks heat indignantly. Her question was so sudden that had I answered without even thinking.

“That’s what I thought,” She sighed, her pen scratching across the paper, “what kind of jerk does this crap…” I knew that wasn’t meant for me to hear, but my response slipped out.

“The same kind that murders his clan and leaves his brother and sister live to suffer.” Kagame’s eyes widened slightly, but then she began to laugh. “How was anything I just said funny?”

“You’ve got a few problems, my friend,” She chuckled. I frowned at her.

“Kagame, how many times do I have to tell you not to laugh at the patient,” a familiar voice scorned. Lady Tsunade’s intimidating presence was announced by the clicking of her heels. “You look exhausted,” She said when she saw me.

“I’m fine,” I muttered. She looked at Kagame with a raised brow, who gave her a subtle shake of her head. It really shouldn’t have, but something about it filled me with envy.

“Kagame, you have a lot of work to do,” the Hokage said, handing her a slip of paper, “I’ll leave you to it.” Her heels clicked out of the room.

“You think,” Kagame huffed under her breath, “ow.” A pen had flown across the room and hit her in the back of her head. My initial shock was quickly replaced with laughter that had me doubling over and clutching my sides.

“I’m glad my pain amuses you,” Kagame grunted, sending a glare over her shoulder at her assaulter. When Kagame turned her attention back to her patient, her laughter had dissolved into tears.

“I’m sorry,” Riyame sobbed. The blonde gave her a disbelieving look. That took an unexpected turn.

“What are you apologizing for?”

“I’m a mess,” She hiccuped.

“I think of all people you have an excuse to be one,” Kagame reasoned, “It’s not like your crying is of any inconvenience to me.” Her onyx eyes were big. They reminded her of a small child, and the innocence in them was overwhelming.

Kagame studied the raven haired girl for a moment. Her reaction told so much, yet not enough. She was made to feel like an inconvenience, and from the shock on the girl’s face, often. If she could, Kagame would gladly smash in the face of whoever was responsible for this, but Kagame wasn’t naive. Years of loneliness could be a heavy burden. She read over her file so many times the night before that she knew it by heart. Hospitalized several times over the course of three years, two more years of self-isolation before she graduated from the academy, and then matched with a team of two Hyuuga. Her self-esteem was doomed from the start.

Man, did she have a lot of work to do…

Kagame waited patiently for Riyame’s crying fit to subside. Once the tears stopped, a drained expression rested on her face.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Riyame shook her head. “I can’t help you if you don’t let me,” Kagame said in a soft, sing-songy voice.

“It’s easier if I don’t think about it.” Had the room not been dead silent, Kagame wouldn’t have heard her.

“He really did a number on you,” She sighed.

When she was younger, she had heard all about the Uchiha massacre. She never thought she’d ever meet a living member of the clan in person, let alone treat them as a patient. She knew Itachi’s name well. Word of what he did to his clan was infamous.

He used to be the pedigree of the Uchiha clan, and now he was an S-rank criminal. It was a waste of talent. Kagame had read his file. Graduated the academy at the top of his class after only a year, passed the chunin exams at ten, and became an Anbu captain at thirteen. Everyone who had ever known him mentioned his adoration for his two younger siblings. Yet…he had managed to scar them both emotionally.

She didn’t know much about Sasuke, having only gleaned over his file for a few moments. She knew he was a grade A jerk, but anyone who knew the kid knew that much. Riyame on the other hand, everyone seemed to forget. The hospital staff knew her intimately only because of extended stays. Getting to know your patients was half of the battle, and no one really knew her. Kagame would have to work from nothing, and she had a feeling that what she had just witnessed was only the surface of the problem.

“I’m sure it’s much easier to forget if you don’t think about it.” Kagame measured her words very carefully. “Sometimes, though, it’s easier to get it off your chest. It’s a heck of a burden to carry by yourself, and…well, you’re not alone anymore.”

Riyame’s eyes were cast downward as her teeth worried her lip. A sign of anxiety, Kagame noted silently. She continued to wait patiently, which was something Kagame admittedly needed help with. Maybe this would be a good chance for her to exercise it, as she had a feeling that the poor girl wasn’t likely to spill everything at once. She would have to draw it out of her.

“If I…” She stopped, but Kagame knew where she might be going.

“My lips are sealed. I’m treating you,” Kagame assured her, “Frankly, it’s none of anyone else’s business what you tell me. No matter what it is.” Riyame’s dark eyes cast over her for a few moments before they settled on her lap again.

“No one?”

Kagame stood, walked over to the door, and shut it firmly before taking her seat again. “No one,” She promised.

“I don’t want to repeat it…not more than once.”

“Then I’ll listen.”

The girl nodded. As she spoke, there was a dead quality to her voice. The blonde said nothing throughout the entire explanation. The details were relatively vague, yet they contained visuals Kagame knew could have only come from first-hand experience. Occasionally, she would shy away from the explanation as though it pained her. And though her first instinct was to end the conversation, Kagame let her continue.

By the time she was done, silent tears streamed down the girl’s face. What color she had gained was splotchy and nearly gone. Tsunade had warned Kagame how much work she faced. Kagame always thought she tended to exaggerate, but this time, it was very clear that the Hokage had underestimated the amount of effort this would take. Well, if Kagame didn’t have endless patience before this, she was bound to have it afterward.

“I see,” was the only thing the blonde could manage before she got her bearings. She needed to get the poor thing off this topic and move on; otherwise, she would never sleep.

“Alright,” She sighed. It didn’t always work, but it was a way to introduce a new topic. “Why don’t we move on to something else…what about your team? You haven’t so much as mentioned them, even in the short time we’ve been talking.” Riyame hesitated, but Kagame spoke before she could, “I’m not talking about the temporary one.”

“They’re…strong,” She said vaguely.

“Well, yeah…but is that all there is? They’re strong?”

“They’re…stronger than me.”

“Doubtful, but continue.”

“There is no doubt. I’m the weakest link. All I’ve ever been good at is running and hiding. They’re Hyuuga. They’re strong. They’re fast. They’ve got their Byakugan and their gentle fist. Heiogi practically carries the team…and Leon just…they’re out of my league, and everyone knows it. Even my sensei. That’s why he…” She took a moment to clear her throat, “That’s why I just stay out of the way. If I’m not there to screw it up, everything goes smoothly. He can focus on the others, and I avoid embarrassing myself…or facing Heiogi…because I’m not perfect…because I’m a mess up…because I’ll live in a shadow for the rest of my life, and I’ll never get better, and-“

“Okay, I’ve heard enough,” Kagame cut across her. So much became clear to her. Team sixteen fueled her self-loathing. Why wasn’t she surprised?

“Is that all your squad is? Negativity?”

A soft, sad smile swept across the girl’s face. “It’s all true, but yes.”

“What about your temporary team? Are they so negative?”

“No…well, not all of them are.”

“And how do they see you?” Kagame crossed her arms and quirked a brow.

“As a member of their team,” She whispered.

“If they can see you as a member of their team, yet your own squad can’t, then they are the ones with the problem. Not you,” Kagame said firmly, “Now why don’t you tell me more about team seven?” Riyame hesitated, but once she started, Kagame was pleased that she felt comfortable enough to continue.

“Kakashi-sensei is…amazing. I’m honored that he even agreed to take on as another student. With an already full team, four is a crowd. Yet…then there’s Sakura…she’s…sweet and it’s like having an older sibling that actually cares about me. And Naruto…” Pink bloomed in her cheeks and her speech paused for a moment. “He’s…a bit dense sometimes, but he…he’s so full of energy, and he loves being a ninja so much that it’s almost contagious.”

A smile lifted Kagame’s lips as she babbled on about the spiky-haired dunce. This went above and beyond admiration—not that she blamed her it. Naruto was nothing if not dedicated. He was easy to look up to when you were used to living in the shadows of those around you. But, this was a crush. The kid wasn’t exactly Kagame’s type, and though she thought he was a bit of a dimwit, a petty part of her found it amusing when he annoyed Tsunade.

Kagame also noticed how she carefully avoided bringing Sasuke up more than briefly. However brief, she did nothing but sing his praises. That didn’t bother her, it was what accompanied that. She couldn’t compliment him without insulting herself. It was like it was forbidden for them be compared next to each other. Kagame didn’t bother having to ask to know why, and she didn’t like that.

“You like him don’t you?”

“What? Who—no! I, mean,” she cleared her throat, as her voice had raised an active, “I consider him a friend, I guess, and he’s sweet and strong and…is it that obvious?” Her dark eyes were mortified.

“Probably to anyone that hears you talk about him…except for maybe him. He will probably never notice,” Kagame said, “you said it yourself. He’s dense.” Relief flooded her features.

They talked through the day and late into the night. In the bigger picture, it mostly trivial things, but Kagame didn’t mind. Riyame needed a friend. Not a faceless doctor treating her like a wounded animal. Kagame did her best to assure her that she was a confidant. Nothing said in this room would be spoken to anyone else unless it was medically important.

Riyame went through several different bouts of emotion. She kept a depressed sort of calm about her when they weren’t on a particular topic. Kagame avoided the subject of her family unless she thought there was something she needed to know to help her. They talked a bit more in-depth about her own team. Kagame had already figured out that her teammates were bullies, but by the time the topic was exhausted, she wanted to smash their faces in. With both of those subjects, she’d go through short crying jags—which she would spend half of the time apologizing over. When Kagame could pull her out of those, she kept her on positive topics like her temporary squad-mates.

When it came time for discussing her interests, Riyame wasn’t nearly as forthcoming. She insisted that she didn’t do much of anything outside her life as a ninja. So far, the only thing Kagame could get out of her was that she enjoyed reading and detested training in front of others. When she tried to press her, Riyame would just shrink into herself and refuse to answer her question.

Riyame’s eyes started drooping at some point late in the night. It didn’t take much for Kagame to talk her into lying down, but she had to promise not to leave until she fell under. Which didn’t take much time because the instant she closed her eyes, she nodded off instantly. Kagame watched over her intently as she did. You could learn a lot about someone by what they did in their sleep.

Riyame wasn’t a sound sleeper, at least not the first few times she attempted it. She writhed and whimpered, waking in a cold sweat several times. It was only with Kagame’s assistance that she managed to be lulled into a peaceful slumber. Once she had, the room filled with silence. That silence weighed down on Kagame as well. It wasn’t long before she too fell under.

She woke with a start before the sun had fully risen over the horizon. Panic overtook her until she was sure that her sudden alertness hadn’t woken up the dozing girl. Once she realized that Riyame was still deep in oblivion, she decided that now was as good a time as any to freshen up.

She crept out of the room and made quick work of going home and changing into her everyday clothing. As she walked back to the hospital, she noted how nice the weather was.

I think she needs some fresh air, Kagame thought to herself.

She didn’t need to stay cooped up in that hospital room all day long. It’d drive anyone insane—plus she worried that the poor girl was half there already.

Once she arrived, she greeted the nurses as they went about their duties. They eyed her oddly, and Kagame realized that none of them had ever seen her in her everyday clothing. She sent a glance down at her bare midriff and shrugged. Staring never stopped her from wearing what she wanted.

When she reached Riyame’s room, she briefly considered knocking, but thought better of it. If she was asleep, she didn’t want to chance waking her.

She entered, fully expecting the girl to still be in dreamland. What she didn’t expect was for her to be sitting up and fully conscious.

“Oh, you’re awake,” She said, “That saves me some trouble in the long run.” She glanced around the room, spotting Riyame’s shoes. She scooped them up and strolled over to her bed with purpose. Riyame looked at her, eyes widening for half a second as she took her in.

“I’ve been awake since you left,” She muttered. Kagame frowned, but Riyame said, “You didn’t wake me, or, at least, not on purpose.” Her eyes flickered to her before she explained. “Your presence was comforting.” There was a brief pause, then, “I’m sorry. That’s pretty weird. You probably don’t believe me anyways. No one ever has-“

“Who says I don’t believe you?” Kagame interjected, “In fact, I wanna hear more.” Riyame looked at her then with the same big, innocent eyes.

“Really?” She sounded so meek, so Kagame gave her the warmest smile she could muster.

“Yes, really,” She said, “You can do it while we take a walk. You’re getting out of this room.” She set the shoes beside her bed. Riyame just nodded and swung her feet over.

Kagame led her out of the room by her hand, and a passing nurse stopped in her path.

“Has she been discharged?”

“Nope,” Kagame chimed.

“Well, then Lady Tsunade-“

“Lady Tsunade can shove it,” She replied.

“Don’t get in trouble over-“

Kagame was quick to stamp out Riyame’s protest, “I’ll deal with the Hokage. The instant I tell her that this is a part of your ‘treatment’, she’ll back down. Trust me.”

Kagame could tell that Riyame wasn’t keen on the possibility of confrontation, but she said nothing else on the matter. Instead, she prompted her to talk about her comment on Kagame’s presence as they walked side by side through the village. As she explained it, Kagame found herself more and more fascinated by it.

“So you can sense another person’s presence? Not their chakra. Their presence.” She just wanted to make sure she got it right.

“Yeah,” Riyame admitted sheepishly, “The only others I’ve told about it are my teammates and my mother. Mama believed me, but Heiogi and Leon weren’t convinced.”

“And you didn’t tell your sensei?”

“I doubt he would have believed me,” she said with a grimace.

“Did your mother?” Kagame knew that her family was a touchy subject for her, so she did her best to keep her tone delicate.

“Yes.” A deeper sadness touched her features that made Kagame’s heart ache for her.

“Well, if it makes you feel better, I believe you,” Kagame said with a warm smile. Riyame suddenly blushed, but before Kagame could ask what was wrong, she blanched.

“Naruto is coming this way,” She whispered, “and Sasuke is right behind him.”

Kagame glanced behind them only to find out that Riyame was right—except for one tiny detail. Naruto was practically dragging him. The scene would have been amusing were it not for the anxiety practically pouring off her friend. Then Naruto’s eyes landed on them.

“Hey, Riyame!” He called, a smile filling his face. He towed Sasuke behind him—whether he liked it or not. Sasuke managed to yank away from him by the time they reached the two girls.

“Leave me alone,” He growled. It was a sad attempt at menacing—or, so Kagame thought.

“Not until you apologize,” Naruto growled back. Kagame stifled a smile.

“Naruto, don’t-“ but the blonde girl cut across her.

“What’d pretty boy do?’

“Do I know you?” Sasuke turned on her.

“The name’s Kagame Tsukasa,” She retorted curtly, “and you’re about as intimidating as a kitten.” His returning glare brought a boastful smirk to her lips.

Naruto laughed at him and Sasuke was about to turn on him when a voice everyone jump—except for Riyame. It was proof enough in Kagame’s eyes that she was telling the truth.

“Is there a problem here?” Kakashi’s voice sounded from behind her.

“Not at all,” Kagame replied evenly.

“Good! I hope you’re doing better, Riyame,” He said, ruffling her hair. She said nothing, only giving him a sad excuse for a smile. The atmosphere shifted. Naruto gave Riyame a sympathetic look, Sasuke shifted awkwardly, and Kakashi wasn’t convinced.

“Take good care of her,” Kakashi said to the older of the two girls, “and remember what I said, Sasuke.” All eyes were on him as the jonin took his leave.

“What’d he say?” Naruto poked at him accusingly.

He glanced at Riyame and said, “Nothing,” before stalking off himself.

Naruto growled to himself and grumbled, “He was supposed to apologize for what he said.”

“Just forget it, Naruto,” Riyame said, “I think getting kicked around is punishment enough.”

“I’d like to kick him around some more. I'd wound more than his ego,” The blond grumbled. Kagame took them both off guard by laughing out loud.

“Sorry,” She said with a smile.

The rest of the day, Naruto hung around. Kagame didn’t mind. He kept Riyame in a better mood. Soon enough, he even got her to smile. It didn’t matter how he did it either. All that mattered was that she stayed in high spirits while Kagame figured out how to help her cope with the trauma. She promised to herself then that she’d figure it out. She was out of that dark fog. For now…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DONE! I am officially done editing and rewriting this part of her story. I'm happy with it...for now. I jokingly say that I'll give it three years before I feel as though I need to rewrite it again, but knowing my perfectionist tendencies, I wouldn't doubt it at this point. If I ever do feel the need to do so, I know I won't have to do much to it, and I'm proud of that.
> 
> Eventually, I will begin to rewrite the first four chapters of the sequel, but this particular one needed more attention.


End file.
